


The Wedding Surprise

by Misttiique



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Comedy, Fluff, Happy Ending, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, No Angst, Romantic Fluff, Sheith Reverse Bang: Wedding Edition, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Planning, Weddings, surprise wedding, wedding shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21888541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misttiique/pseuds/Misttiique
Summary: “So, guys, is this really it? That’s all you’re gonna be doing for your wedding?” Lance asks, a hand holding his glass of wine and the other supporting his head on the table.“Yeah, I mean why not, right?” Shiro answers. He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. The tips of his ears have turned pink, and Keith knows that Shiro’s going to be a little out of it from here on out.“You guys are all married so we thought ‘let’s get it done too’ and… and we’re too busy anyway to plan and get a real wedding done. There are missions popping up all over the place. Plus, it’s gonna cost us too,” Keith replies. In truth, he would have loved a huge wedding but it just wasn’t feasible, especially right now. “We have each other,” Keith murmurs, his hand finding Shiro’s to intertwine their fingers together. “That’s all we really need.”
Relationships: Keith/shiro, Kolivan/Antok, Krolia/Tex, Lance/Allura, Veronica/Acxa
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42
Collections: Sheith Reverse Big Bang 2019





	1. Chapter 1

It certainly wasn’t a rash decision, but to say it was absolutely calculated might be a reach. Nerves racked Keith’s hands as he adjusts his red tie in the mirror of the courthouse’s decorative panels. He smooths the fine black three-piece suit, the one he had tailor-made for special occasions like formal events or balls. Today’s is as special as it can get. The suit was already pressed to a crisp but fussing with it gives Keith's hands something to do. 

The courthouse is marble and wood, more modern and sleek, but there’s still a sense of seriousness and formality to it. No big bouquets and white lace, but Keith honestly couldn’t ask for more. “Short and simple” was what he agreed on just a week ago. There wasn't enough time to plan something more elaborate. Although, it wasn’t his dream wedding, he thought it would be better to spend less effort on something so trivial as decorations — not when their bond would outlast the universe. 

Krolia appears beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. It must be time. 

She walks him to the door of the room they’re going to be signing the marriage certificate in, where everyone must already be inside. Her fingers trace Keith’s jaw and she tucks a few stray strands of hair behind his ears that have slipped out of his short ponytail. “I’m so proud of you, Keith. I couldn’t be more happy to see you get married.”

Keith holds her wrist and says, “Thank you for being here, Mom.” 

His heart is filled with warmth, about to burst with pure joy and excitement as he opens the door to a new start of fulfilment and love. 

There he stands, beautiful as the day Keith met him. Shiro’s hair, the shade of moonlight, is slicked back. It contrasts the shiny black suit he wears. It’s similar to Keith’s but his tie is black instead of red. Keith remembers the conversation they had earlier this afternoon. 

“You’re okay with this?” Keith asked Shiro as he took a comb through his freshly washed hair. “It isn’t much but I was just… I think that with everything going on and… how busy we are—“

“Keith, my love, stop worrying. I want to get married to you, in every single reality there is,” Shiro cut him off. He paused working on his tie to put his hands on Keith’s shoulders and gaze into those bluish-purple eyes. “I don’t care if we get married during a battle, on some planet with four sunsets, or even a simple courtroom. Being with you is enough and I don’t mind this. I really don’t because the important thing is that we’ll be together.”

Shiro’s words brought tears to Keith’s eyes and he wasn’t even getting married yet, but rather just preparing for it. 

Shiro touched his cheek, his gaze is soft that Keith couldn’t fathom how much love he feels for Shiro. 

It’s this moment that plays in his mind as Krolia offers her arm when the door opens. It’s definitely not an aisle, but in his head, it is. His heart pounds at the decision to commit for eternity, but who else was it going to be anyway? His heart has known from the start that Shiro is the only one. 

Everyone’s standing on either side of the path to witness their signing of matrimony. Documents and logistics were sent in only a couple of days before and processed faster than Shiro and Keith expected, though being heroes of their universe must count for something. Hunk and Pidge stand with cameras on one side and Lance has his arm around Allura on the other side. For obvious reasons, the whole universe wasn’t allowed, only this group of family that has already witnessed their love blossom and now is about to witness the union of it. 

The aisle is short but with every step, Keith feels the magnetism. The officiant this ceremony has a face that tells everyone he’s been through a hundred of these in a day and will perform another one once they're finished.. It’s relatively fast and finally, comes the part everyone’s been waiting for.

“Do you, Takashi Shirogane, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“And, do you, Keith Kogane, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

The rings are brought forward, probably by Lance. Keith is too focused on Shiro to notice who it is. His hands tremble slightly as he puts the ring on Shiro’s finger. When Shiro does the same for him, it feels as though it was meant to be there from the start. 

“Then, I pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss.” 

The room explodes with applause. Keith readies himself for a light peck on the lips but Shiro never fails to surprise. He tilts Keith’s chin up slightly and kisses gently. As the intensity increases, Keith’s hands cup Shiro’s jaw and Shiro’s hands move to the back of his neck and his lower back, tipping him. Out of air, Shiro returns him to a standing position and his hand never leaves Keith’s back. Smiles light up everyone’s faces and tears of joy are just another product of the moment. 

Keith is now Shiro’s husband. He is Shiro’s husband. Of everything, this is the title he’ll be most proud of. The happy tears are starting to affect him too. Turning to Shiro, he also sees that beautiful full smile that led him here in the first place. 

The gold of their rings shines in the light of the room, a sign that their love will be something that’ll last forever. 

They lead everyone else outside, still holding hands. Pidge and Hunk snap away at Shiro and Keith’s exit as husbands. Keith reminds himself to frame those pictures and hang them in the living room when he gets them printed out later. 

There are hugs and congratulations all over the corridor; even other couples who are also getting married turn around to watch their celebrations, which aren’t over just yet. 

Next stop: Sal’s — a tiny but fancy restaurant with the best drinks and food. They stuck with the theme of a small and intimate affair, booking a private room. For every gaze they shared, there is a toast. Keith doesn’t even realize how much he’s drunk but he feels suddenly so light and bubbly. Shiro never lets go of his hand, holding him steady as he nurses his own drinks. The laughter in the room might radiate through to the rest of the restaurant but Keith hardly cares. 

Today is the day he got married; nothing else could matter. 

“So, guys, is this really it? That’s all you’re gonna be doing for your wedding?” Lance asks, a hand holding his glass of wine and the other supporting his head on the table. 

“Yeah, I mean why not, right?” Shiro answers. He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. The tips of his ears have turned pink, and Keith knows that Shiro’s going to be a little out of it from here on out. 

“You guys are all married so we thought ‘let’s get it done too’ and… and we’re too busy anyway to plan and get a real wedding done. There are missions popping up all over the place. Plus, it’s gonna cost us too,” Keith replies. In truth, he would have loved a huge wedding but it just wasn’t feasible, especially right now. “We have each other,” Keith murmurs, his hand finding Shiro’s to intertwine their fingers together. “That’s all we really need.”

Shiro looks at him, the corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile. His gaze reveals everything anyone needs to know about their relationship and Keith can’t help but try to memorize every detail of this moment. He’s just gotten married to a wonderful husband and he’s celebrating with all of his friends and family. The stars couldn’t have shined brighter for him that night. There are  _ awwwws  _ all around the table. 

“Just look at the happy couple,” Hunk gushes. 

“I’ll excuse you guys this  _ one  _ time because it’s your wedding day,” Lance grumbles. Allura puts her hand on his shoulder, a reminder that he too loves sappy moments with his wife. 

Keith’s too happy to find a retort. He doesn’t want anything more than to spend his life with Shiro. Ever since they met, they’ve formed a bond so strong, it can break the universe into two just to prove its strength. 

Their rings glint in the candlelight, gold to match the warm flame. Another source of warmth is the one created by the wine. Things are becoming… lighter and lighter for Keith. His hand finds Shiro’s thick thigh under the table and strokes it in a long smooth motion. He doesn’t need to know how it makes Shiro shiver with excitement. They’re at their reception and everyone knows what will come later anyway. 

Keith’s hand strokes higher, just above Shiro’s crotch. Shiro, who’s less intoxicated than Keith — because someone has to get them home — holds Keith’s hand in place under the table. Keith glances up at him, smirking as if to say “should I stop?” because Keith certainly means it. He can see the trace of Shiro’s Adam’s apple bob as Shiro swallows hard. 

Shiro peels his eyes away to glance at his watch. 

He leans closer into Keith, and Keith can smell Shiro’s alluring cologne. He always smells so good. 

“We should head back and get some  _ rest  _ since we’ve got that early morning meeting tomorrow. And, you know how tired we get in the morning when we’re feeling like  _ this _ .” Shiro  _ sure _ knows how to persuade. 

They actually do have a meeting for the upcoming mission tomorrow, so they should be heading home anyway, even if sleeping isn’t the only thing they’re going to do. 

Keith nods, smiling contentedly. He gently smooths his thumb over Shiro's cock.

Only after a few moments, Shiro stands to thank everyone for coming and being part of the memorable day. Keith joins in with a few words as well before they leave hand-in-hand. 

—————-

With the wedded couple gone, Pidge calls everyone in for a huddle. 

“Guys, did you see that wedding just now? It was barely a wedding,” she starts. Her eyes shine with excitement and she leans even closer as if about to tell a secret, just as she always does when about to suggest a brilliant breakthrough. All eyes are on her and her idea/battle position. 

“I propose… a real wedding.” 

“A real wedding?” Tex asks, scratching his chin, trying to wrap his head around it. 

“Yeah, like an actual wedding. I mean, c’mon. Have you ever seen them have time for themselves? And what’s more, it would be to celebrate one of the most important things in their lives! They love each other so much, so I think they at least deserve to have a proper ceremony.”

“Yeah, I get what you mean!” Hunk joins in. “Man, their love is so big, you would need a giant wedding for them. It’ll obviously need to be at a nice, big place that can fit everyone we know. And… and a relaxing honeymoon — since those two are workaholics.”

Krolia puts her hand on her husband’s, glancing at him. They hold each other’s gaze for a few seconds longer than usual, in a way that says they are still in love after this long. “Tex, our wedding was sweet and simple. Our boy should have a grand one, you know. Something he’ll always remember.” 

Tex nods and puts an arm around her. “Yeah, I think Keith would like that,” he says after a moment. 

“Ooooh, a white wedding would be beautiful. From the flowers to the suits to the wedding cake — everything in pure white,” Allura suggests excitedly. If anyone knows what a good colour scheme looks like, it would be her. She decided on a stunning rose pink and cyan colour scheme for her own wedding. 

“Yes! Allura, that sounds fantastic!” Pidge exclaims. She’s got her datapad out now, hurriedly scribbling down notes. 

Lance rests his head on his hands, pondering for a second. “I’m loving the whole wedding vibe, guys, but don’t they have a meeting to be at in a few days? They’re packed with missions, like, to the brim currently.” 

“Not anymore,” Krolia replies. She pulls out her own datapad and swipes through the Blade of Marmora’s mission schedule. “They’ve got the joint  _ Atlas _ -Blade mission,” she reads off the pad, “so they’ll definitely be together and I think I can talk to Kolivan about postponing that mission. They’ve supposed to have the meeting for it tomorrow anyway.”

Pidge nods, factoring that into her plans, which are now a long, growing list in her pad. 

“You know Hunk’s right because speaking of honeymoons, I bet I’ll be able to find those lovebirds some planets with lots of gorgeous scenery and long sunsets. I’ve got a few in mind as we speak,” Coran adds. “They’re famous spots for newlywed Altean couples to visit and I should know because I’ve been to them myself. Lovely holiday destinations, really.”

“Great!” Pidge notes the new information. “And I assume the cake and food will be yours to handle?” She points the pad at Hunk. 

He grins, and replies, “It’ll be my pleasure.” 

“Okay, gang, looks like we have almost everything down. We just gotta finalize these and we’re good to go. Oh, wait, who’s going to tell the  _ Atlas _ crew, especially Iverson, about the status of the mission?” Pidge says as she places the pad down and looks around the table. 

It’s silence all around. No one has ever successfully been able to convince Iverson and his team to reschedule missions, let alone cancel them. At least, no one but Shiro, who doesn’t even know about this plan’s existence. 

Lance raises his hand nonchalantly. “I’ll do it,” he says. “And I know how to do it so Iverson can’t possibly deny Keith the wedding he deserves.”

Hunk peeks out of the rest to look at him. He narrows his eyes before asking, “You sure about this, man?”

“Leave it to me.”

  
  


—————-

  
  


Krolia marches into Kolivan’s office, as though it is a daily occurrence to enter the leader of the Blade of Marmora’s room first thing in the morning. 

And there Kolivan sits at his desk, morning coffee in hand. His posture remains slightly hunched over, though it’s hard to tell with his huge frame, because he doesn’t need to be stiff when it comes to his oldest friend. Also, the second in command. 

“Congrats to Keith and Shiro,” Kolivan says. He’s never believed in greetings, preferring to get straight to the point. “You must be a proud mother now that Keith’s married, and to the Captain of the IGF- _ Atlas _ , no less. Impressive.”

“Thank you, Kolivan. Yes, I’m overjoyed that my little one has found his love,” Krolia replies. She sits on the edge of his desk, looking at the neat lines of stationery, tablets and a framed picture. She’s seen it before and multiple times as well, for the picture changes every time Kolivan and his husband, Atok, go on vacation. Currently, it’s a picture of them standing on a peak of a desert canyon, all smiles, even though most of the Blade thinks it’s impossible for their strict leader to crack the tiniest hint of one. 

Kolivan sips his coffee leisurely. She waits for him to put down his cup before she continues. “Keith and Shiro’s wedding yesterday was simple — just a courthouse wedding, followed by dinner and drinks.”

“Is it not good to keep things simple?” Kolivan asks, an eyebrow lifting upward. For the Galra, weddings are unions. They are two people being together for the rest of their lives and nothing more, therefore nothing much to celebrate. 

“Keith’s half-human too. You’ve seen how hard my boy works and you know how in love he is with Shiro. They should be having a bigger wedding, one with more celebrations.”

“Bigger doesn’t always mean better, Krolia,” Kolivan points out. His tone is hard, giving him the advantage of winning most arguments since people back down when he takes that tone. 

However, Krolia only feels the need to continue. “They’re in love and they should celebrate it. They deserve a break to get married and relax for a change.”

“But they’re heroes of the universe. It comes with the jobs and the titles.”

“And this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Remember when you got married to Antok? Remember how special it was?”

Kolivan’s eyes flick towards the framed photo. Something flashes in his eyes, almost a hint of affection. Kolivan sighs, which Krolia guesses must be due to him thinking of Antok again, before he nods to Krolia and telling her to continue. She knows she’s right, but it’s just a matter of getting him to budge. 

As if on cue, the door opens. “Hey, de—“ Antok greets but stops short. Seeing Krolia, he straightens his posture. “Kolivan, Krolia,” he says after a moment with a curt nod, his tone less cheery than before. 

A small smile sneaks onto Kolivan’s face, caught out of the corner of Krolia’s eye. 

Antok puts down a stack of papers onto the desk next to Krolia. “You left these at home,” he reminds Kolivan, who nods… almost apologetically. 

“Please send my congratulations and regards to Keith and Shiro — the happy couple,” Antok tells Krolia. “I saw the pictures from yesterday. Such a lovely wedding they had.”

“Thank you, Antok.”

“I did want to ask though, because some of the other Blades and I were wondering when they would be having the celebrations?”

Krolia looks at him, puzzled. “Well, wasn’t that it yesterday? What you saw in those photos?”

“I thought Terran people have those customary large weddings? Or, am I wrong?” 

This is exactly what Krolia needs. She smiles internally; the plan is working faster and easier than she had expected it too. 

“No, you’re correct. It’s a Terran tradition, if you will. I was just here to ask Kolivan if he’d help out with their wedding celebrations, and maybe give them some time off. ”

“And I said no,” Kolivan interjects. “They’re heroes of the universe; they’re needed all the time.”

“Kolivan, it’s their wedding. They’ve earned it too, working nonstop for the universe. It’s the least the Blades could do for one of the top members,” says Antok.

“But—“

“Remember our wedding? It was perfect, so shouldn’t we also help them have a moment to remember for the rest of their lives?” Antok is firm when he says it, and it matches Kolivan’s tone. 

Kolivan frowns, about to grumble. His expressions read how much he knows his husband is right, and also when not to argue. “Fine,” he relents after a while. Antok moves to his side and places his arm around Kolivan’s shoulders. He nods, urging Krolia to speak. 

“All right then, I propose this: we surprise them at their next mission, since it’s a relatively simple one anyway.”

Kolivan nods with a hum, considering the thought. 

“We continue to tell them that the mission will be to go over to Arus to scour for a new possible type of fuel, which Princess Allura will test as a backup fuel for quintessence. But, when they arrive, they’ll be at their wedding celebrations and after that, they’ll have a short break from missions to actually get some rest. Their team is working on the follow-up plans, as we speak. So, are you in or out?”

The offer is clear, and the plans are set, or almost set. 

Kolivan ponders, staring into his cup of coffee as if it holds the answer to the question. 

Antok stares at him, waiting for the reply that he knows the answer to, as seen from the small smile on his lips. 

“Yes, yes, we’re in. We’ll postpone the mission, but they will go there as planned. And, yes they can have their short break,” Kolivan decides. Antok rubs his shoulders and Kolivan places his hand over Antok’s. Krolia guesses that it’s the most motivation he needs to make that decision. 

“Thank you both. I expect that you’ll be giving them the mission brief later on and I’ll leave you to it.” 

Krolia’s mission is done. Her son is getting married properly, he’s going to be a husband and maybe even a father. Pride swells in her heart like a blooming flower. 

Before she leaves, she turns back. “Your invitations to the wedding should be in the mail in a day or so,” she tells them. 

“We’ll definitely be there,” Antok replies as Kolivan answers with a hmph. 

  
  


—————-

  
  


As Krolia walks out of the Blades’ headquarters with her husband, she hears talk about the wedding. Some of the other Blade members even come up to them to congratulate their son. Krolia’s smile can’t get any wider and she can’t feel any happier than she already does. This will be Keith’s moment and she will do anything she can to make as special and as memorable as it can be.

News of the wedded couple spreads through the universe faster than anticipated, with the universe’s heroes finally tying the knot. The Garrison is the next to hear about it, thanks to the Blades’ intel. 

Lance has his plan ready. Having decided what to do, he calls James and Ryan for support. 

“Wait, wait, let me get this straight, you want  _ us  _ to convince  _ Iverson  _ to reschedule the mission? Iverson, as in The Iverson, literally the most stubborn person on earth?” James asks while Ryan looks at Lance incredulously. 

James turns back to Ryan before whispering, “He’s actually serious.”

“Oh c’mon, guys, what is the big deal? It’s Keith’s wedding and we all know it’s worth a shot.”

“Dude, I’ll do this but only to show you that Iverson is the most stubborn person on Earth.”

James narrows his eyes at the both of them, his arms folded and his lips pressed into a hard line. He’s never going to budge at this rate, Lance thinks to himself. But what wouldn’t Lance do for his best friend Keith?

“If Ryan can go along with it, then maybe—“

“Fine, but only to shut you up,” James says gruffly. “I know it’s not going to work, but if it’ll make you save the trouble of begging Iverson after the first time he says ‘no’, then all right.”

Lance grins when he gets his way. He leads them to Iverson’s office and knocks on his door, just as they had to do when they were cadets. 

“Come in,” Iverson calls. The three of them gather in his office like they’re cadets that have done something wrong. 

Iverson doesn’t greet them. Instead, his expression is a scowl with one eyebrow raised in suspicion of their true intentions of seeing him. They all were and are still part of the Garrison but are no longer under him, which is a huge relief. Still, being back here feels nostalgic. 

Iverson recognizes that when they come in, not even bothering to meet them. “I remember when y’all were cadets here,” he starts, standing up to meet them. 

“I’m sure we all do, sir,” Lance replies coolly. “We came here to ask if you could allow the next few missions to be postponed? Particularly one of the IGF- _ Atlas _ and Blade of Marmora in a couple of days time.”

Iverson sighs. It seems like he already knows what’s coming. “Does this have to do with the wedding of Shiro and Keith that’s planned on the same day and their honeymoon after?” He sounds tired, as if he’s been hearing all about it the entire day. The intel from the Blades sure does travel fast. 

Lance opens his mouth to speak but Iverson cuts him off. “I remember the time when all of you couldn’t stand Keith Kogane. And yet, here you all are, years later, asking me on his behalf to give him some time off for him to get married to Shiro.” He chuckles at the irony of the situation. 

“That may be true, sir, but it’s a fact that both Shiro and Keith work so hard and they barely take a break, even if it’s to celebrate their own wedding. They should at least be given this time to celebrate this once in a lifetime affair,” James reasons.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t want your Admiral of the  _ Atlas _ to quit on you,” Ryan adds quietly, pretending to stare at the floor. 

Iverson mumbles something to himself about his old cadets ganging up against him. Lance knows they’ve succeeded. He can’t wait to tell Allura later and continue with the planning of the main event.

“Okay, I agree to postpone that mission.” Iverson raises his hands in surrender. Lance nods excitedly and tells him about how they still plan to tell Shiro and Keith that this mission is ongoing because it will act as a cover for their wedding. 

Iverson seems vaguely impressed but it’s hard to tell with his stern expression. 

“A part of me always knew they would end up together,” Iverson remarks as they’re about to leave. 

Ryan shrugs in response. “They were made for each other,” he says matter-of-factly. 

Outside the office, the only topic people are discussing was the wedding. Lance can only hope that no one will suspect the new wedding plans before the day of the mission arrives. 

  
  
—————

Planning is the easy part. Carrying it out is a whole other story. Pidge consolidats the plans the evening the missions are settled between the Garrison and the Blades. Gathering the rest of her team, except of course for Shiro and Keith, she briefs them on each of their own tasks and splits them into groups for different areas of the wedding. Coran, Veronica and Acxa will be heading to Arus to meet up with the rulers to ask for permission to hold the wedding there and find suitable planets nearby for the honeymoon. Hunk, Ryan and James will be in charge of the food. Allura and Lance will be handling the wedding supplies and essentials. Pidge will be helping with the logistics and overseeing the entire operation. Or as she likes to call it Operation: Wedding Surprise, because after all, they’re bringing all of this together to celebrate Shiro and Keith’s union. 

On planet Arus, the day has just ended, from the last rays of the four suns seeping through the clouds. Coran, Acxa and Veronica descend the steps of the lavish palace of Arus. Formed from a material similar to crystal but the density of diamond, it is suitable for building an impenetrable castle. The levels of safety precautions taken in securing this place are some of the highest in the universe, especially since this planet contains another source of fuel besides quintessence. Therefore, it is key to begin collecting and testing some of this fuel. The rulers of the planet themselves are happy to oblige working with the Garrison forces and Blade of Marmora to protect this resource. But, they are even happier to play host to the wedding ceremony of the Admiral of the  _ Atlas _ and Black Paladin of Voltron. Though, it will certainly help that there will be no one getting through heavy, bullet-proof, crystal walls to gate-crash this wedding. 

“I can’t believe they let us postpone their most important mission just like that and let us hold the wedding right here,” Coran says, shaking his head in disbelief. “Especially when it’s the fuel that could be the next quintessence we’re talking about.”

“I’m just happy that we got them to agree to the postponement in the first place. Now, the entire universe won’t be disturbing them from now until the end of their honeymoon.” Veronica smiles at her hard work. Krolia’s told Kolivan and Lance’s convinced Iverson and now, she’s done her part in making sure the couple will be mission-free. She’s half-expected to end her proposition with a threat of “if you don’t give them a break, they’ll never, ever come to protect your planet again. Do you really want that? The defenders of the universe protecting everyone but you?”

But, she’s glad she didn’t have to, also because that would involve Acxa pulling out her guns. That is what she loves best about her girlfriend. 

“This’ll be a great wedding revenue. If they had the ceremony at twilight on the balcony, it would be beautiful,” Acxa suggests. Veronica knows she’s right and nods in agreement. “We could have lanterns hanging over it and make everything glow.”

“I like those ideas!” Coran adds excitedly. “And I think we can continue with the sunset theme for their honeymoon,” he says, twirling his moustache in thought. “I was thinking maybe Xerieg or Velaw — those sunsets are simply breathtaking.”

“I’ve been there!” Acxa exclaims. “One of those, though I can’t remember which, is similar to those places on Earth with the hot sand and water.”

“You mean a beach?” Veronica prompts.

“Yeah… a beach. A long, long time ago, I used to visit those planets with my… my… family,” whispers Acxa. Her tone drops and her eyes lower to the ground below them. Sensing the dropping mood, Veronica takes Acxa’s hand in her palm, thumb caressing the back of Acxa’s hand to soothe whatever feelings she has. 

“Hey, we’ll go there soon too, okay? After their honeymoon, it’s our turn.” Veronica offers her a soft smile and it’s enough for Acxa to squeeze her hand and return a smaller smile. 

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Lance and Allura move from fabric shops to tailors to wedding decoration suppliers at almost breakneck speed. The couples keen, selective eyes, though it could be argued that they are just very, very picky, look over every single detail they can possibly worry about. Fabrics being the dazzling shade of white for the wedding tuxedos and yet, they must to be silky enough to give the grooms-to-be the glow and shine they need. The flowers will be imported to Arus from a nearby planet thanks to Allura’s friends and it will fill the entire balcony and ballroom together with the lanterns. They debate details down to the color of the ringbearer's pillow until they realize how absurd they sound. Despite that, they agree on a shiny black cushion so that their rings will stand out against it, like stars. 

Pidge stays in her office, delegating instructions and dealing with the logistics. She orders Matt to help her out, even though he would have done it willingly anyway since his best friend was getting married. Again. Hunk, on the other hand, is down in the test kitchen figuring out the menu and cake flavours. He would love for the entire team, including the wedding couple, to gather around for the taste test but there is a surprise in store for them, so James and Ryan will have to do instead. The “mission” of collecting the backup fuel is a big mission but Shiro and Keith’s wedding looms over the team in a much bigger way. 

  
  
————

  
  
The day of the mission appears faster than they expect. It’s an early morning launch, a bit too early for Keith’s liking. He makes the effort to pack his husband’s and his suit into their luggage, and checks through their list of items for the mission. According to Pidge, they don’t need help with the heavy lifting of equipment for quintessence testing because that will be handled the night before. They only need to bring their belongings and travel essentials as the mission may take longer than expected. Keith couldn’t care less about the tiny details of it, except getting through the mission with his husband by his side.

Shiro’s surprisingly the last one to board the  _ Atlas _ . The journey to the distant planet of Arus will take a few days, though everyone seems positive it’ll be much less. The strangest thing about this mission, Shiro notices, is how suddenly positive everyone is. Everyone seems to have a bounce in the movement and excitement when they speak faster than usual. 

He walks by the kitchen when the unmistakable aroma of a freshly baked cake catches his attention. He knows that smell anywhere, especially after long trips in space where the most comforting activity is digging into a warm, moist cake, which was lovingly baked by Hunk. The flavours are never too heavy or too light on the palate, just enough to leave one craving for more. 

Shiro smiles at the memory of Keith hoarding the last piece of cake when they had it last time.

He follows his nose to the kitchen, leaning against the doorway. Hunk’s hunched over, skillfully piping some intricate design onto the top of a cake. He doesn’t look up until Shiro coughs. 

“Hey, didn’t see you there,” Hunk says. His eyes flick from the cake to Shiro and back to the cake quickly. 

“Yeah, I smelled your freshly baked cakes and thought I should pop by.” Shiro strolls toward Hunk, who protectively shields the cake with his entire body. 

“I know what you’re here for, Shiro. No, you’re not getting anything.”

“Not even a small slice?” Shiro pleads. He notices a bead of sweat at the tip of Hunk’s eyebrow. 

“Uh uh.” Hunk shakes his head forcefully, as if that will get Shiro to back off. “This cake isn’t for you and I need to practice until I get the… recipe… right.”

“Aw, c’mon, Hunk. If it smells this good, it’s bound to taste amazing. You of all people know how much I like cake and I’m sure Keith and the rest would like some too. After all, you’re still practising,” Shiro reasons. His stomach growls with ferocity at the cake’s tempting nature. It sits in front of him with its large and white frosted exterior like it is mocking him. 

“No, Shiro. I told you I can’t let you have it.” Hunk’s defensive nature is starting to show and Shiro knows it. 

Shiro stands there, still wanting cake and hoping Hunk will change his mind. Unfortunately, Hunk’s been given the strictest instructions among the team: not to let anyone eat the wedding cake, no matter what version it is, or else it will ruin the surprise wedding. 

Finally, Hunk sighs. Shiro wants to make an internal fist pump for winning the waiting game but Hunk doesn’t make any execrations. “I promise I’ll make all of you guys a cake after the mission. Can we consider that at least? This cake is just… out of the question… for today.”

Shiro pouts. Even though it always, always works on Keith, Hunk isn’t fooled by it. 

“Fine,” Shiro grumbles. “I’ll wait until we get back. But just know that this,” he points at the cake, “is absolutely torture to wait for.”

Hunk flashes him a grin. “It’ll be worth it, Shiro. Trust me.”

————-

Since that morning, Keith hasn’t seen Shiro. His mind keeps racing to find his husband’s location and his heart is starting to get antsy waiting for the first sight of him. He’s used to having long missions away from Shiro but the main purpose of this one was to spend more time with him. 

Before leaving, some of the other Blade members gave him a list of tasks he needs to do before they land. Some of the Blades joined him in the  _ Atlas _ to journey to Arus, since the  _ Atlas _ is big enough to accommodate everyone anyway. 

However, the only person he has caught sight of, and probably too much of it, is Lance. And if Keith’s not mistaken, Lance’s idea of shadowing him inconspicuously is definitely not working. 

Keith’s first stop is the control room to check on the engines and location systems. He inspects, his posture rigid and hands behind his back. He’s now a senior Blade member and one of its best, being as focused as he is on missions. From the corner of his eye, he catches Lance hovering by the door. The look on his face shows his conflict about whether or not he should enter, which makes Keith roll his eyes at the indecisiveness. 

Next, Keith seeks out his assigned room for the journey. Technically, it isn’t exactly his room since he and Shiro are sleeping in the same one but it’s for formality's sake, though it does have a connecting door to Shiro’s room. Keith just wants to check if Shiro has brought up all his belongings like he said he would. And as he suspects, he catches Lance pacing in the hallway of their private rooms. Keith’s frown deepens as he catches sight of Lance yet again, trying to figure out what he’s up to with all this spying. Lance seems to be everywhere. 

Keith decided to head to the lower levels of the  _ Atlas _ to make sure the fuel processing equipment is secured. He takes the stairs two at a time, turning around quickly every few steps to make sure he’s not being followed. 

He heaves a sigh of relief on the last step but footsteps approach him from the side of the hallway and Lance’s head pops out. 

“Oh, there you are, Keith! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Lance explains with mock surprise, which Keith can easily tell from his tone. 

Keith folds his arms; his frown deepens even further. “Lance, we may be buddies but you don’t have to follow me everywhere around the ship, you know?”

Lance blinks at him, like Keith’s words are in an alien language for which he has no translation. 

“Me?” Lance touches his chest as if it would be crazy to think he’s following Keith. “I would never. I only came here to tell you that all of the equipment is packed and also, the Blades are looking for you upstairs.”

Keith squints at Lance’s words, something he does when Lance utters an insane idea, and it’s a look that’s heavy with judgement. His arms are still folded and lips are pressed together, unamused at Lance’s excuse. His fingers tap almost impatiently onto his arm, as if he’s waiting for this whole charade to end. 

“Dude, I’m gonna be straight with you here. I know you’ve been following me around the entire day. Why?”

He knows that Lance knows better than to follow him around. After all, as his best friend, he should know how much it bugs him. 

Lance’s mouth widens into a smile that’s too big for his face. But there’s a wobbliness to it that makes Keith uneasy. 

“This time I’m not, Keith, I swear it,” Lance replies, raising his hands in mock innocence. “But really, the Blades are looking for you upstairs, and if you don’t show, you know who they’ll be coming after.”

Keith’s expression remains unchanged. With that serious expression, it’s impossible to change his mind. 

“And I heard Shiro might be with them too. You know… probably discussing stuff… uh, yes, the mission objectives.”

“Shiro?” Keith asks. 

Lance nods, almost a little too slow as if he’s savouring the moment his plan is starting to work, whatever that plan may be. 

At the sound of Shiro’s name, Keith’s face softens. He hates how soft he gets just the mention of Shiro’s name but he really can’t help it. All his feelings for him are soft and warm and displayed proudly on his sleeve. 

Keith realizes that Lance has now got the upper hand. And he uses it to his advantage, turning Keith around and pushing him toward the elevator up to the higher floors of the  _ Atlas _ . 

“They’re probably gathered at the meeting rooms, so you should join them ASAP. Bye!”

There’s a little too much enthusiasm in Lance’s voice, Keith notes. He’s in the elevator and zooming upstairs in no time at all. 

  
  
—————  
  
  


The only meeting room in use today is filled with some balloons, streamers and a large number of Blade members. It is going to be a meeting on the mission objectives, definitely not a party. 

As soon as Keith enters, someone pops confetti and more streamers and the Blade members cheer and give loud whoops. Keith’s cheeks redden as they get hotter and hotter. “Guys, Thank you for all of this! But, we’re on a mission, you didn’t need to congratulate me. A small card or something will do.”

“It’s nothing really, just something small to celebrate that our senior Blade member is now a husband,” says Regris excitedly. He pats Keith on the shoulder, mouth opening into a wide grin. “We all know you deserve meeting Shiro, the universe’s dreamboat.”

A chorus of laughter erupts around the room. Keith joins in but his face is burning from all the teasing. More of the Blades crack a few more jokes: how anyone should think twice about crossing paths with Keith because the attack will be twice as hard and certain Galra mating rituals. 

“Keith, you probably know this but your stamina is about three times of Shiro,” adds Thace. Keith doesn’t even know how to respond to that. His face could possibly burn right off right about now. 

“Okay, enough with the mating stuff. I mean look at the poor guy, he looks like he’s about to combust,” Regris intervenes. 

Keith gives him a nod and mouths “thank you.” 

“You know, it’s a bit sad that you didn’t get a party with some dancing. Then, you could do that Galra traditional marriage ritual.”

“I wasn’t aware of that. What is it?” Keith asks Regris. 

“Well, it’s like this thing where the parents of the groom or bride pass their family sword over to the spouse to be, before handing them over to walk down the wedding hall with their child and start the first dance. It’s old-fashioned, really,” Regris explains, shrugging his shoulders. 

Keith nods to himself thoughtfully. That’s something he would have very much liked if he had some dancing, and a sword, at his wedding party. And, Shiro would have liked that too, being a very traditional man himself. 

“Hey, guys I brought the wed— I brought the cake!”

Hunk suddenly pops up at the door with his hands full with a triple-layer, white-frosted cake. His eyes reflect shock as he does a double-take. They widen so big that Keith wonders if he’s ever seen Hunk’s expression like this. 

“Keith,” Hunk says after a while. Some of the Blades must share his worry, especially of dropping the delicious cake in his hands, and take it off from him. 

“I didn’t know you were coming to the meeting— I, uh, would have brought more.”

Keith smiles sheepishly. “Surprise?”

It takes a while for Hunk to get back to his normal self. Someone passes him a knife and the cake back to him to cut. 

“Lance literally pushed me up here and told me I needed to discuss the mission objectives with the Blades. And, he also said that Shiro might be here too so…” Keith explains. 

Hunk nods. “Uh-huh.”

He holds the knife in his hands as everyone gathers in anticipation around him, waiting for their own slice of the cake, which they will most definitely savour. 

Instead, he offers Keith the knife. “Maybe you should be the one cutting it instead, Keith. Because it’s going to be your wed—“ Hunk stops himself short. There seems to be a collective sharp inhale of breath all around Keith, startling him. 

“I mean since you’re leading the meeting here, you should have the honour of cutting the cake,” Hunk quickly says. He chuckles loudly as if he’s told the funniest joke in the universe and everyone joins in nervously. Keith can’t help but feel a little awkward in this situation, and also a slight suspicion. Almost nothing stuns the Blades because being hardy is one of their most important unwritten motos. 

“It’s okay, Hunk, you already have the knife, so you can cut it,” he says. Hunk seems to take it as a sign of relief, despite his previous suggestion. He cuts into it slowly, which Keith guesses is to make sure everyone gets an equal slice. He holds the first one out to Keith. But, just as Keith’s hand grips the plate, Hunk pulls backwards, away from Keith. 

“Keith, I really don’t think you should be eating this cake just yet. It’s really, really special so you should definitely wait for the last few pieces, man,” Hunk says. His tone is soft and as wobbly as his hands are right now. 

“That doesn’t make any sense but okay, I guess,” Keith replies, his confusion only growing, but he trusts his close friend. 

“That’s a relief because for a second, I’m afraid it’ll spoil the surprise of tasting your wed—“ Hunk is immediately cut off by a shout coming from the back. Everyone, including Keith, turns around to see its source. 

“Let’s spar,” the Blade member shouts even louder. The room turns into chaos. There's shouting and limbs flail as people tackle each other.

Keith glances back at Hunk, still remembering his words of something about what Keith presumes to be a wedding. But, he sees Thace tackling Hunk to the ground. Apparently, everyone has forgotten about the cake too. 

Someone else attacks Keith from behind and it’s a full-on mass sparring session, one which he gets lost in. 

  
  


—————-

  
  


It’s the end of the second day of the journey. They are due to land on Arus the following morning. Shiro and Keith’s paths cross more often since they were now on the same mission, although there are still some tasks they need to complete on their own. 

Tonight though, Coran and Matt, who arrived that afternoon, plan for them a particular speech writing ‘session’. 

“This is totally unnecessary,” Keith grumbles to Shiro. “I mean, we’ve been doing this for so long, addressing a group of people about the mission should be too hard, right?”

“Yes, I know. It feels like there plenty of other unfinished tasks around, but Matt said this is ‘super’ important,” Shiro answers, air-quoting the word ‘super’. It makes Keith laugh and retort, “No one used air-quotations anymore, old-timer.”

Shiro pretends to look surprised and chuckles at the old nickname, making Keith’s heart nearly stop for a second. How can someone get more adorable the more time you spend with them? Keith asks himself. 

It turns out that writing their speeches is  _ a whole lot  _ different than usual. Coran paces back and forth in the room, one hand behind his back and the other gesturing to the many, many things that need to be included in this particular speech. Meanwhile, Matt slouches against one of the couches in the meeting room, laughing at what Keith guesses must be how they’re made to sit in front of the both Coran and Matt and actually write their speeches. It isn’t like he and Shiro are kids that need supervision. 

It seems mandatory that they finish the task before bed and the day has been long and hard. 

“Now, let’s go through again one last time how you should have written your speech. Do I need to remind you both again that it needs to be very, very specific about each other?” Coran says. 

“Yes, super, super specific,” Matt adds, nodding his head a little too much. 

“And you need it to have meaning — something like if you were going to say how you would be devoted to protecting someone… or something… and nothing should come in the way of that,” Coran continues. He’s stopped pacing now, and instead stands tall and focuses on them. This is the third time he has gone through and from Shiro’s sleepy expression opposite, it is getting later into the night. 

Coran made them sit apart, for the purpose of not reading each other’s speeches. Apparently, the people of Arus have very strict methods of introductions and they involve introducing your partners and their alliances to you. It’s probably for formality’s sake and because they want to know that their resources will be used wisely, Keith guesses. 

“And they need sentimental value too. Lots of it,” Matt agrees. 

Keith doesn’t have much experience of the culture in Arus, with its many traditions. He’ll probably have to ask some of the Blades about it tomorrow. 

Finally, Coran checks his, while Matt checks Shiro’s speeches. Occasionally one of them pauses in between reading and all Keith can worry about is if they will have to edit and re-write it again. So far, it’s happened a couple of times to him and Shiro, and Keith can only hope he and Shiro can get some shut-eye before they land tomorrow. 

When Coran and Matt both give each other satisfied looks, Keith does a little fist pump. 

Shiro’s out cold by the time Keith gets out of the shower and snuggles with him on his big bed. He’s warm and content, and he has Shiro by his side. 

  
  
  
  
—————-  
  
  
  


Keith feels the  _ Atlas _ land gently on Arus. Shiro is still fast asleep when Keith looks up from Shiro’s warm, soft chest. Shiro’s arms are around him, protecting him from harm even when he is asleep. 

Keith would stay like this forever but sharp knocks on the door rouses them. 

“Guys, you were supposed to be out and listening to the briefing at breakfast ten minutes ago,” Pidge yells from the other side of the door. 

“Hmph, not yet,” Keith complains sleepily. He snuggles closer to Shiro. A few minutes later, those arms slide out from around him and Shiro untangles himself. He gets out of bed and it takes Keith a whole lot longer to do the same. 

Then, they’re at the main hall, where everyone else in the  _ Atlas _ has gathered for the briefing quite some time ago. The aroma of breakfast food suggests it was served to prevent chaos from erupting while everyone was waiting for them. 

They’re the leaders of the mission so they stand in the middle of the large hall and go through the plan. Working together just like they used to feels like settling back into a routine you already know too well. Shiro starts, as he usually does, first by apologizing for their tardiness, which surprisingly, everyone is all right with for a change. Odd, Keith thinks to himself. 

“So, how we’ll be progressing is this: Keith and I will be meeting with the officials and royalty to thank them and give them a full breakdown on what will happen with the quintessence-like fuel,” Shiro explains. 

“And, in the meantime, they’ve kindly allowed us to unpack our equipment for the extraction, which I understand will take some time,” Keith adds. They’re halfway through the briefing and from its smooth flow, everyone can tell how Keith and Shiro work together. 

“We understand that we’ll be under the protection of the Arus army when we’ll be there, but we would like to advise everyone to still be on guard because, as we know, our work is never really over,” Shiro says, his tone stern but not forceful. It is something that seems to connect him with the rest and it matches Keith’s. 

“And, that’s why we should be on our guard, and with armour too. There’s safety measures and specific checks in place, especially since we don’t quite know much about the fuel,” Keith continues. 

“This is a very important mission,” Shiro starts on the final reminder. 

“That’s why we need to get it done and we’ll be finished and able to use the fuel very soon. More fuel, more productivity, more time and more energy power,” Keith finishes for him. Everyone applauds and they head back to their stations to move out. 

Keith puts on his Blades suit, together with his armour. He checks himself in the mirror, making sure he looks suitable to meet those officials and royalty. 

“You look beautiful with your armour on, as always.” There’s a hand around his shoulder and Keith just knows his husband’s eyes are tracing the curves from the Blades suit. 

“I could say the same for you,” Keith murmurs. His hands feel the silver and white  _ Atlas _ suit on Shiro’s big, muscular frame. It made Shiro look  _ so, so _ much hotter than he already is. Shiro flashes him a crooked grin and Keith knows his heart just about bursts inside. 

Shiro takes his hand and both of them walk from the  _ Atlas _ into the hangar. All around them, people are moving parts of the equipment that will be used to test the fuel. Some of them start to take their positions by the sides of the walkway, where they will cross to meet the Arus parties. Only when they reach the end of the hangar, Keith realizes that there aren’t many people rushing around wearing their armour, in fact, those moving the machine parts aren’t either. Keith whispers his thoughts to Shiro, who gazes around. It’s unlike everyone to not follow their instructions. “It might be dangerous, doesn’t anyone care about that?” Keith asks Shiro in a hushed voice. 

“It is. I’ll ask around later and don’t worry, baby. Let’s just focus on getting through the talks first?”

Shiro’s thumb smooths over the back of Keith’s hand. Keith nods, though, he knows it’s too late now to ask everyone to get into their armour. 

The hangar doors open, letting in the bright morning light. The atmosphere is sombre and serious. Shiro leads them forward across the long walkway, where pictures snap away from the universe’s own paparazzi. 

They shake hands with the officials and royals and are whisked away for mission talks. With their schedule, they are packed with meetings all day until the end of the day’s welcoming dinner. With Shiro at his side, Keith feels so much more comfortable than he would having to talk on his own. Even after this long, he isn’t as candid or open as he should be but he is learning slowly from Shiro. 

The last item on their schedule is the welcoming ball. They follow some of their hosts to their guest suites but apparently, they’ll be getting ready in different areas. Keith wants to protest against it, but Lance and Hunk pop up to make him stay instead of following Shiro. 

Meanwhile, a very confused Shiro meets Matt, who pushes him away from Keith and into his own dressing area. 

Keith starts to argue with his own teammates about what the hell is going on but then, he sees the big white suit bag hanging on the side of the room. 

He walks to it, his hands hesitantly raises to touch the bag. Its soft felt material demonstrates its importance. 

The room goes quiet as Keith reaches for the zipper at the top and begins his way down. Everyone seems to be holding their breath for this reveal, meaning it must really be that special, Keith thinks to himself. 

Inside, it’s a pure white suit with a black bow tie. It’s simple, elegant and sleek. 

Keith stops short. This isn’t the formal suit he usually wears for grand evenings and galas. He glances back to see the reactions from Lance and Hunk. Lance has a small smile on his face but there’s a hint of anticipation, as if he’s waiting for Keith to guess the right answer. Meanwhile, Hunk looks like he’s about to burst with glee. 

Keith’s gaze moves around the room, noticing the variety of flowers on the dresser and a few vases of them all around the room. They are mostly roses and baby’s breath, and their scent fills the air like perfume. 

Keith suspects what is going on, or rather what is about to happen. However, he’s too shocked to speak. 

Lance and Hunk must take his silence as a good sign because they dress him up in the white suit. The material feels like heaven on his body but it still doesn’t overpower the full feeling in his heart. No one speaks and there’s a sense of calm and serenity. 

They even add some sort of sparkly dust to his face and his clothes—something about giving it a little glow, as they had put it. Keith lets them, too full of nerves and adrenaline to stop them now. 

Keith sits down and lets Lance braid his hair with the flowers, which Hunk passes to him. 

“You still have that speech you wrote last night?” Lance asks, breaking the silence. 

Keith looks back at him in the mirror before nodding his head. 

Lance ends the braid with a satisfied hmph. He looks proud of his handiwork and doesn’t miss the opportunity to boast a little about it, “I thought I had totally forgotten how to braid hair after going to space, but guess what? With Allura around, I always get the practice and it looks pretty good if I should say so myself,” Lance says smugly. “Right, Hunk?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. It looks amazing. And I bet it'll be amazing when he walks into the room!” Hunk replies excitedly. 

Keith stands up and gets a full look of himself in the tall mirror. 

He doesn’t look the same, all decked out like this. In fact, he’s starting to not recognize himself. The suit fits him well, better than his formal one by a hundred times. He adjusts his bow tie in the mirror, straightening it for the purpose of confirming that it is his hands and himself in the mirror. He feels his braid but there’s a small smack on his hands and a hiss of “don’t ruin it by touching it.” The braid trails down his shoulder, each knot weaved with flowers and pearls. Hunk hands him a set of ornate gold cuff links to complete his look. In his head, his speech is memorized. 

A knock on the door calls everyone to attention. 

“Hey, came to see how you’re doing.” Krolia peeks through the door of the dressing room. 

Hunk opens the door for her, though as soon as she enters, her hands fly to cover her surprised gasp. 

“Honey, you look lovely,” she murmurs. She’s wearing a flowing navy blue gown and has silver and onyx jewellery. “I’m so happy for you, my Keith. I’m so proud of you and all you’ve done in your life,” Krolia says, touching his face gently. 

He holds her palm against his face, taking in the comfort. His mother isn’t one for tears but this moment has conjured them. His own eyes are starting to tear up but his mother wipes them away with her thumb. 

“No crying on this special day.” She holds his hands in hers and Keith can tell she’s remembered the reason she’s come to his dressing room. “If you’re ready, then we should go downstairs to the ballroom. Your father is waiting for us. He’s sending you off this time around.”

Keith nods, and casts one last look into the mirror, finding comfort in who he’s become. 

————-

  
  


Keith’s bouquet is a big one and it stands out against his white suit. It’s a mixture of roses, baby’s breath, orchids and tulips. In one hand is the bouquet and the other is holding onto his father’s arm. 

Bells overhead start tolling and everyone in the hall rises. The sound of the bells is loud enough to startle Keith for a moment. He never thought he’d ever hear them ringing just for him. 

It’s a long, long walk to the altar, which faces the sunset through glass windows of what the Arus officials call the Crystal Castle ballroom. Leaves, vines, and fairy lights hang above them above them and just the right amount of the rays of sunset streams through. Soon, more of the golden hues from the fairy lights will appear, creating that magical, and probably mystical, effect. 

Practically everyone in the universe has come and stands, supporting Keith on either side of the red carpet. 

And right there, in the middle of the altar with an Arus official, is his soulmate.

He’s known it since the day he met him, that their lives are intertwined and their hearts forever connected. 

It still stuns him for a moment to see him standing there, waiting for him at the altar. His slick-back white hair matches the equally pure white suit that he wears. Like Keith, his bow tie is black. 

He gets to marry Shiro! Shiro, of all people! Who loves him back and just as much! 

He reaches the altar and his heart trembles a little. The words and the speech escape him, faster than he can comprehend, but he knows he means what he says, every single word of it. Then, comes the part that seals their partnership. 

Shiro says his vows fervently, meaning every single syllable. It’s not the usual promises at weddings but a set of facts and decisions that he’s made in his love for Keith. 

Keith does the same, heart pounding wildly. At the very end, he adds in, “You have and will always have my heart, Takashi Shirogane.”

“And, you have mine.”

The wedding official asks them the final question. “Do you, Takashi Shirogane, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” Keith announces, can’t help but grin at Shiro. 

“And do you, Keith Kogane, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” Shiro says it back. His smile is one that Keith can’t wait to have to himself. It’s one that he fell in love with the first time he saw him. 

They exchange their rings from before again. And ,the world seems to freeze before Keith and Shiro are in the middle of it all. Somewhere outside his bubble, he hears the declaration of ‘husband and husband’ and a wave of cheers. 

Shiro’s hand feels warm as he traces Keith’s cheek and jawline. A tear slides down and Shiro wipes it away with his hand. He’s never been one for crying at emotional events. Shiro’s eyes also well up with tears, which makes Keith feel like sobbing. 

Shiro pulls him close, gently brushing his lips against his, softly at first. But, when Keith puts his arms around Shiro’s neck, the kiss intensifies. 

He’s Shiro soulmate. And, he will forever be Shiro’s soulmate. 

They pull apart slowly, still living in their fairytale. The applause and cheers continue, and even increase, in this great hall. Never in his life would Keith have dreamed of this. 

  
  


———-

  
  


By the last rays of the sun comes the Galra tradition of handing over the groom to his husband by his family. Most of the Blade members have gathered right at the front of the semi-circle, some already tearing up. The ceremony is moved to the large balcony of the grand hall. 

The sunlight gives the atmosphere a dreamlike quality to it, and Keith knows he’s living in a dream right now. He stands behind Krolia, who’s opposite from Shiro. 

In his mother’s hands is the sword that she’s passed down to him when he was only a baby. Now, she passes it to Shiro, a sign that she’s giving away Keith to his new husband. 

She gracefully bows, before wielding the sword in her hands, almost as if she’s about to deliver a final blow. But instead, she lays the edge of the sword in her palm and holds it as an offering to Shiro. 

Keith guesses that Shiro must’ve been briefed about this part too. Shiro bows and accepts the sword, doing the exact movements that Krolia did, before settling the sword in the hilt of his belt. 

Krolia takes a step backward as Shiro holds out his hand for Keith. 

Keith takes it without a single hesitation and holds onto it tightly. With their hands together, the suns seems to be satisfied and starts to set. The crowd in the balcony parts for them a way back to the entrance of the grand hall. Flower petals are thrown across the aisle, welcoming their passage. 

They walk down the aisle, with the sun’s rays trailing every step. In perfect precision, their first step into the grand hall happens when the last ray fades away. It’s pitch black in the grand hall, and Keith holds his breath, wondering what could be next. 

A small orb of gold light appears, followed by another and another and another. They float around, before rising to the top of the hall. 

Shiro takes Keith’s hand and leads him through the golden bubbles to the center of the hall. 

Music flows from an unseen source, but Keith knows it’s a waltz and he doesn’t need to wait as Shiro leads him in it. The ceremony is now completed with their first dance as a married couple. Keith sways along, letting himself breathe in the moment as he closes his eyes. With one hand on his back and the other grasping his hand, Shiro puts their heads together as they dance. 

After a while, more people join in and it’s almost as if they were all part of an ensemble. 

When the music ends, Keith doesn’t pull apart from Shiro but he only gazes upward. Another round of applause erupts around him and streamers and sparkles rain from the ceiling above. 

There’s everything that both of them love on the wedding menu and the cake awaits their cut at the top of the stage in front of the great hall. 

Keith’s gone to prepare his couple’s speech in a couple of minutes when a few members of the Blades saunter up to the wedding couple’s table. Shiro’s a little shocked at first as they’re much bigger than he is, and possibly a little threatening too. 

Regris comes forward first, taking Keith’s seat next to Shiro. 

He starts off with some pleasantries but Shiro can tell this is going somewhere more serious. Shiro gulps and his palms start to sweat. 

“Shiro, we know and trust you with our Keith. Yes, we know you assure us that you’ll give Keith the entire universe and more, but if anything were to happen to him, anything at all, you will be held responsible for it. And, you know us Blades, we don’t make empty promises and we take care of our own.” 

Shiro nods, not sure what else that should be said in this situation. Regris stares at him hard in the eye, as do the other Blades. Shiro can feel their stares like lasers penetrating through him as the silence grows longer. Make your speech quickly, Keith, Shiro thinks to himself. 

“Okay, then! I’m glad we’re all on the same page here, have the best time of your lives together!” Regris slaps Shiro playfully on the shoulder, as if his threat only a couple of seconds ago didn’t mean a thing. 

Shiro can only breathe again when the Blades leave, which is just in time for Keith to walk onto the stage. 

He taps the mic nervously and looks at Shiro, who raises two thumbs up in support. Keith slowly breaks into a smile and holds himself steady. 

“Hi everyone, I hope y’all are having a great time. So yeah, it’s the couple’s speech time and I promise I’ll make things quick, also because I don’t really know what to say right now. I guess I’ll start with,” Keith says before pausing. 

“I’ll start with how everyone here had probably thought that marriage was off the table for me. Well, you were right, that is until I met Shiro. As cheesy as it sounds, he’s changed my life for the better and I wouldn’t be the person that I am today if it weren’t for him. We’ve both grown so much since the start of this relationship and yes, we’ve had our ups and downs, but…” Keith can already feel himself tearing up. He pushes it down just a little bit so he can finish. “But, you’ve defended and protected my heart, Takashi. And for that, you have my heart forever.”

Keith can see Shiro covering his mouth and surprise and a few tears sliding down his cheeks. He earns a hug from Shiro when he sits back at their table. Then, it’s Shiro’s turn to speak. 

He should be used to it, having made speeches to bigger audiences at all, but his fingers tingle and his heart races at the thought of saying all of this feeling of love for Keith out loud. 

“No one could love me the way Keith does. The way he not only fights for others, but also the way he loves and protects them...He’s the most selfless person I know, and the fact that he chooses to shower some of that love on me still shocks me. I’m so lucky to have you, Keith, always by my side no matter what. When I wasn’t myself, you… you… only you could bring me back. You know every part of me, sometimes even better than I do myself. You’ve taken my heart, Keith, and it’s yours only forever.”

Keith can’t help the smile forming on his face. The tears are streaming down now, but Keith doesn’t care. The warm feeling in his chest is overwhelming now and it needs release, which comes in the form of a kiss. 

As soon as Shiro reaches back to their table, Keith pulls him close and kisses him like it’s their first. 

The party goes on with more food, dancing, laughter and much joy. The night doesn’t seem to end when Keith leads Shiro down to the dance floor again. 

“I’d never thought you’d be into dancing,” Shiro murmurs, his hand at Keith’s lower back and his other hand holding Keith’s. 

“What can I say? You have that effect on people.” Keith grins. 

Around them, the lights dim and the golden orbs once again descend, lighting up the atmosphere like they are actually in a magical forest. 

“I love you, Shiro,” Keith says sincerely, with the same intensity of emotion, as he did when he first confessed. He looks up slowly to meet Shiro’s eyes. His gaze is soft but it holds Shiro’s firmly. 

“I’ll always love you, Keith,” Shiro answers back. With that, he swings Keith upward as they dance. Keith closes his eyes in trust of Shiro and in bliss, a permanent smile on his face and a warm, bright and comforting feeling in his heart that one can only feel when they know they’ve found their true home. 


	2. Epilogue

“Oh my god, I wish they could just stop with the vacation pictures,” Lance groans, slamming his phone down onto the sofa next to him. Everyone on the team is chilling at his newly redecorated home and also attempting to decide the next course of action for the team. 

“They’re having the time of their lives, love. Don’t you remember we did exactly the same when we got married? It probably annoyed so many people too,” Allura counters him. 

Lance gives her his puppy eyes, in an attempt to ask for some sympathy. He’s successful because he knows Allura can’t resist it. 

She rolls her eyes. “Fine, when it’s our turn to go on holiday next week, we can also spam the group chat with our holiday pictures.”

“I totally agree with but I mean, c’mon, did you guys see the gorgeous sunset scenery in this selfie?” Pidge pipes up. She shows them the picture of Shiro kissing Keith’s cheek as he snaps the picture of them in front of the setting sun. 

Shiro and Keith are currently enjoying their honeymoon on the beaches of a few nearby planets, where the days are longer than most. And, they have been thoroughly enjoying their time off, from all the pictures they have sent. 

Krolia, Kolivan and Veronica have sent out detailed plans for emergencies for major solar systems and told them to not disturb them when deciding to call the heroes of the universe. Knowing each of their reputations is a deterrent enough but together, they are a force not to be messed with. 

Right now Shiro has his arm around Keith as he holds his phone up high. Keith, on the other hand, had a drink in his hand and a huge smile held frozen waiting for the camera to click. The background is the setting of two suns, giving that extra magical light of the golden hour. He knows Shiro’s a little excessive with these photos but it’s all for a good cause, probably. 

“Three...two...one,” Shiro counts, finger ready. Just as the photo’s about to snap, Keith leans in and kisses Shiro’s cheek, giving him a surprise. 

“Oh!” Shiro gasps and it's the one that gets captured on camera. 

“You look so cute when you’re surprised,” Keith remarks as they review the picture. 

“Not as cute or, might I add, as beautiful as you did at our surprise wedding.”

Keith blushes. “I couldn’t have looked that way if I didn’t see my gorgeous soulmate standing at the altar. But you know… I would get married to you in an infinite amount of lifetimes if I had to.”

Shiro smiles, warmer than the setting of the two suns behind them. “I would too, and I’ll do anything to spend my whole life with you, surprise wedding or not. I love you, Keith.”

“I love you too, Takashi.”

All these pictures are now memories of a love that cannot be forgotten and a love so strong, it holds no bounds. 

**Author's Note:**

> The beautiful art is inspired by st00pz on [Tumblr](https://berrybooze.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/st00pzdraws). 
> 
> Come talk to me at Misttiique on [Tumblr](https://misttiique.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/misttiique).


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